Bloggers Who Budget: Fall Trends for Less

Top: J.Crew Factory sweater (available in 4 colors, only $29.50)

Jeans: DL1961 distressed white denim 

(get them for under $100 using code JESSICA30 for 30% off your entire purchase until 8/31!)

Shoes: Jack Rogers sandals (the platinum color is perfection!)

Purse: Rebecca Minkoff 5 zip crossbody 

Necklaces: Arthur & Livingston (teal beads) + Swell Caroline (tassel)

All Photos | Kate Davis Photography

Sharing My Sole | Lou What Wear | Let It Be Beautiful | Here&Now | Pearls & Twirls | Stylin in St. Louis | Living in Color Style | The Pumpkin Spot

With 1 month of Summer left, I fully plan on taking advantage with some outdoor adventures & plenty of dinners made on the grill; however, I am also looking to the season ahead by taking advantage of these crazy end of season sales to stock up on transitional pieces. 

I love the shape of this J.Crew Factory sweater, & at only $29.50, I think it is totally justifiable to stock up in all 4 available colors!

Be sure to check out how the other fabulous Bloggers Who Budget are scoring Fall Trends for Less!

Sharing My Sole | Lou What Wear | Let It Be Beautiful | Pearls & Twirls | Stylin in St. Louis | Living in Color Style | The Pumpkin Spot

weekend reading: 08.22.15

1 // 2 // 3

This weekend why don't you :: throwback your style!
shop the button front skirt look: brown suede, classic dark denim, 90s light wash 

{what you might have missed on Here&Now}

{1.} The power of the white button down. 

{2.} Prepping for relaxed weekend styles. 

{3.} Bringing sexy back with these boyfriend jeans. 

{4.} Vera Bradley is a whole new bag - sporting one of my new favorites in this colorful teacher outfit! 

{5.} 2 more teacher style outfits: a bright orange skirt suit set + talking about how to establish a high quality wardrobe. 

{posts I'm loving around the internets}

{1.} Taking a peek behind the blog: how one blogger has turned her site into a business. 

{2.} How to build a versatile wardrobe while you are still in school. 

{3.} The best photography apps you should be using & how to use them! 

{4.} A new Nashville blog that shows you how to live like the locals! 

{5.} Blogger crush: Writes Like A Girl. I love her writing style & unique take on style! 

{what I'm shopping now}

{1.} The most perfect cross body tote from local pro-Conscious Consumerism company Live Fashionable. 

{2.} Take 30% off the J.Crew sale section - I'm loving this sweater that comes in every color of the rainbow (starting at only $39.99!) & this chunky open cardigan (that I already have & LOVE!)

{3.} 40% off all outerwear at J.Crew Factory - that means the ever popular quilted vest is only $58! (I already have it in cream & black… dreaming of red next!)

{4.} Back to school means a new planner - drooling over these new styles from A Beautiful Mess & my co-worker lives & dies by her Passion Planner. What is your planner preference? 

{5.} Thinking about selling some stuff on Thread Flip - have you used it? Any feedback is appreciated! 

off duty style

{ What I Wore: Classic ComfortSoft A-Shirt, Cotton Leggings, Vintage Cotton Boxer Briefs, & Cozy Bra ℅ Hanes }

All Photos | Kate Davis Photo

I always wanted a job where I could wear pencil skirts & button downs, & I am so very thankful for my role as a teacher & the wardrobe that comes with the territory, but I can't always be "on duty" in my professional gear. In my down time I wear many hats - pug mom, wife, friend, Nashvillian, couch potato, adventure seeker, to name a few - & I need my style to be both comfortable & chic to face what is lined up on my iCal next!

One of my style + comfort secrets? Half of the time, I'm actually wearing a sports bra! I like having the girls under control, but I hate feeling constricted. Hanes has always been my go-to sports bra source (see this pro sports bra post from 2013), but their new updated styles are giving me total heart eyes!

I also have a confession: I have long been staunchly anti leggings as pants, but I might have to take back that stance after meeting these Hanes leggings. They are the perfect base for my style now & I know they will continue to be favorites straight into Fall. I like that they are long, heavy enough fabric to not be see through, & high rise - so I feel fully covered. Even this time of year I am living in a neutral foundation (including these basic Hanes tanks that I have been stealing from my husband for years!), adding accessories with lightweight scarves & slouchy layers (blame the Southern AC blast!). I am totally a Summer girl, but the prospect of adding my boot collection to the mix already makes me seriously giddy!

My down time silhouette? Long tunics, skinny pants/leggings & fun accessories to add color & personality. Style AND comfort are important to me, & I refuse to have to sacrifice either. How do you maintain your style even when you are not fully done up?

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls & the content + opinions expressed here are all my own.

shades of blue

{ What I Wore: Chicwish dress* // Nisolo sandals (now on sale!) // "Totes Adorbs" tote ℅ My Kind of Lovely // J.Crew belt (from the men's section) }

*fit tip: this dress is super cute, but runs small. Size up!

All Photos | Kate Davis Photo

Yes, I know that every blogger under the sun got this dress over the Summer, but I just couldn't keep myself off the bandwagon! I had a Napolean Dynamite "I want that" moment, & had to have it! (if you don't have the movie memorized like the 9th grade version of myself did, check out this gif)

I have worn this dress probably 5 times already, & it has yet to not draw compliments (possible the most confusing sentence I've ever written) - basically, people like it, & everyone thinks that it is legit embroidered, but you know it is screen printed because you got it for a STEAL!

So yea, I endorse this dress. Just remember to size up. 

weekend boyfriend

{ What I Wore: "sexy boyfriend" fit jeans ℅ Gap Factory // similar jacket // similar flats // similar tank }

All Photos | Kate Davis Photography 

I think one of the main reasons I could never live with one of those drastic 20 piece wardrobe situations is because there are too many sides to my style! There is the girlie, sporty, teacher  weekend-ing, date-night flirty, and stolen from the boys sides of my - basically I am the human equivalent of the 20 sided die. The only issue - finding style that fit all of my moods without bursting my budget.

I have loved adding new pieces to polish off my weekday work outfits, but I also want to look put together on the weekends! One of my secret weekend warriors? The boyfriend jean. This is a piece that I can't stop wearing & I greatly appreciate how truly versatile it is, meaning no one notices if I wear them Friday, Saturday & Sunday (no judging!).

Gap Factory has a new line of boyfriend jeans called the "sexy boyfriend fit" - these are not the baggy mom jeans that you might associate with "boyfriend" jeans… no buddy! This borrowed-from-the-boys style can totally work on any age/shape, and can swing to either end of the spectrum, from more feminine to more masculine, depending on your mood. I personally love wearing this relaxed fit rolled up at the ankles with patterned flats.

I went for more of a medium wash with minimal distressing, but I'm also drooling over the light wash/high distressed pair & this sleek dark indigo pair!

This is the time to stock up on transitional pieces that you can rock now, straight into Fall! And as an added bonus to the already incredible values at Gap Factory, sign up for Gap Factory emails at www.gapfactory.com & you can get 15% off of your entire purchase. 

Get social with Gap Factory: Facebook // Instagram // Twitter

This post was sponsored by Gap Factory, but all reviews & opinions are my own.

be bright

top: J.Crew Factory stretch classic button down

skirt: old Boden pencil skirt (similar linked below)

heels: old Sole Society wedges (similar from J.Crew Factory)

purse: Bowled Over Satchel ℅ Vera Bradley

sunglasses: Krewe du Optic (similar from Warby Parker)

watch: Michael Kors

All Photos | Kate Davis Photo

Today is my 28th birthday & I feel more comfortable in my skin than I have ever felt before. I have always been a control freak (& am OK with that), but I am finally making peace with "enjoying the journey" & making the effort to cultivate a group of people that I want to be surrounded by as we journey together.

This past weekend I had a good friend visit from NYC. She treated us to an amazing sunset concert, we ate at our favorite Nashville spots, & stayed up until the wee hours of Saturday morning just giggling.

Things I have learned in 28 years: You don't have to be friends with everyone. You should tell the people you love that you love them as much as you can. You are never too old to decide what you want to be when you grow up. Life is too short to not rock the hot pink purse!

This teacher outfit is a mix of old + new, but I have found many similar pieces below:

power shirt

Top: J.Crew Factory "infinity" shirt*

*fit tip: if you border on the "petite" side of things, I would recommend ordering the petite size, these sleeves run long

Pants: J.Crew Factory "winnie" pants in navy

Bag: Vera Bradley "big tote" ℅  (another solid teacher bag option! I adore the coated PVC, so durable & easy to keep clean!)

Shoes: old Sole Society wedges (similar to this current patent leather style from J.Crew Factory, also loving this espadrille style wedge)

All Photos | Kate Davis Photo

To all my teacher friends who just survived their first week of school: WE DID IT!

It certainly feels great to be back to a productive work schedule, & my new batch of 7th graders are total rockstars!

I wore this super color-coordinated outfit to school this week (yes I wore these shoes all day.. well placed moleskin + wedges are my savior for wearing heels at work). This oversized white shirt is a recent purchase from J.Crew & to be honest I didn't 100% love it at right out of the box… mostly because it was slightly out of my wheelhouse. But once it was steamed, and on my body, I was thrilled with its fit & how it works with some of my other favorite work items.

The long length is the #1 thing about this shirt. The side vents, and polished cuffs are the runner-ups! 

*I was right in-between ordering a regular & a petite size, but ultimately decided to order the regular. The shoulders fit as I would like them, but I have to roll up the sleeves 1 cuff (or just not use my hands for the day…). So consider your arm length if you are between these sizes.

school's in session

{ What I Wore: blazer ℅ ASOS, matching skirt via ASOS // "Natalie Satchel" with leopard calf hair ℅ Vera Bradley // Sole Society wedges (shop similar) // Kendra Scott necklace }

All Photos | Kate Davis Photo

Ok, I know I've been teasing about it for ages (I mean, teacher training started back in July), but school is officially, officially back in session! Today is the 3rd full day & we are full steam ahead!

I will never be someone who grows out of back to school shopping. Every August I get a sudden craving for new school supplies & Fall clothes (even if it is still hot as blazes here in Nashville). I am drooling over the day I can wear ALL the blazers, boots & scarfs! Until then I will be window shopping like a crazy person, & trying to sneak in my Fall favorites whenever possible.

I love this new blazer from ASOS & I seriously couldn't resist the matching skirt to make it a full set! I know both of these pieces will get lots of individual love this coming season!

Haven't thought about ASOS for blazers recently? Check out their colorful selections, or shop my hand-picked favorites below!

For more back to school style inspiration, follow ASOS on Instagram! 

on the go

My days are packed - up at 5 am, teaching by 7, at work most days until 5-6 pm, then back home to grade, lesson plan, & squeeze in time to see my husband & the pugs. Most days, the first thing to go, is feeding myself! In fact, most mornings I am too frazzled to even think about breakfast.

On the weekends I am happy that my husband often cooks great meals & I can finally recreate that on weekdays too - thanks to the awesome Jimmy Dean breakfast sandwiches & breakfast bowls. I love getting that weekend taste in weekday time - and making my co-workers jealous with my awesome smelling meals in the mornings!

Thanks to Jimmy Dean, I have more time to get myself ready in the morning, but don't have to sacrifice by missing a meal!

How do you manage to balance your time & healthy eating habits too! Give me all your secrets in the comments!

I also love these Jimmy Dean Breakfast Bowls! Not only are they super easy to eat on the go, they also make a perfect post-workout meal (lots of protein!)

Find Jimmy Dean online: Website // Pinterest // Facebook // Instagram // Twitter  

This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group® & Jimmy Dean, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #JDGreatStart http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV